Sunil Narine is a former West Indies international cricketer who played as an off-spin bowler and left-handed batsman. He made his ODI debut in December 2011 and Test debut in June 2012. He was part of the West Indies team that won the 2012 T20 World Cup and took the winning wicket in the final. He retired from international cricket in November 2023.
He faced many issues with his bowling action during his career, getting reported and suspended multiple times between 2014 and 2020, but was cleared again each time. Because of this, his international career was limited, and he played only six Test matches.
Sunil Narine Records and Achievements
Sunil Narine first got noticed in 2009 after taking all 10 wickets in a trial match, and in 2011 he was among the top wicket-takers in the Champions League T20 for Trinidad and Tobago.
He has been with Kolkata Knight Riders since IPL 2012 and played a key role in their title wins in 2012 and 2014, taking 24 and 21 wickets in those seasons. He is the highest wicket-taker among overseas spinners in IPL and was known as one of the early “mystery spinners” in the league.
He has also opened the batting as a pinch-hitter for KKR. His 105-run powerplay partnership with Chris Lynn is still a record. In IPL 2024, he became the first player to score 500 runs and take 15 wickets in a single season.
Sunil Narine Career Stats
In bowling, Sunil Narine played 6 Test matches and took 21 wickets. His best performance in an innings is 6 wickets for 91 runs, and he has taken two 5-wicket hauls in Tests. In ODIs, he played 65 matches and picked up 92 wickets. His best figures are 6 for 27, with four 4-wicket hauls and two 5-wicket hauls. In T20Is, he played 51 matches and took 52 wickets. His best is 4 for 12, and he has one 4-wicket haul in this format.
With the bat, his numbers are much smaller. In Tests, he scored 40 runs in 6 matches. In ODIs, he made 363 runs in 65 matches. In T20Is, he scored 155 runs in 51 matches.
| Bowling | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Wkts | BBI | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 6 | 21 | 6/91 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ODIs | 65 | 92 | 6/27 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| T20Is | 51 | 52 | 4/12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 6 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| ODIs | 65 | 363 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 12 |
| T20Is | 51 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 |
Sunil Narine Personal Life
As a young player, Sunil Narine actually enjoyed batting more. He only moved fully into spin bowling after people didn’t take his pace bowling seriously. Early on, he played as a batsman who could bowl, but one match where he took 14 wickets changed everything and pushed him towards becoming a bowler.His dad also influenced how he learned the game. As a kid, Narine played a lot of softball cricket, which helped him develop his unusual grip and bowling style. That’s one reason he became a “mystery spinner,” different from others.
Personality-wise, he is calm and doesn’t focus too much on fame. He stayed grounded even when he became successful in leagues like the IPL. He has said his background and his father helped him stay simple and not get carried away.
One of the hardest parts of his life was dealing with repeated questions about his bowling action. He had to rebuild it many times, which was mentally exhausting. For years, he struggled with confidence and even stopped enjoying cricket at one point. But with support from friends and coaches, he kept going.
Sunil Narine Contract
Sunil Narine retired from international cricket in 2023 after last playing for West Indies cricket team in 2019. After that, he made it clear that he would continue playing franchise T20 cricket as usual. He continues to represent their teams in different leagues.
He also plays for multiple franchises across tournaments. These include Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in ILT20, and Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket. And teams in leagues like the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, and Bangladesh Premier League.
FAQs
Q. When did Sunil Narine make his international debut?
A. Sunil Narine made his ODI debut in December 2011. He made his Test debut in June 2012.
Q. Which IPL team has Sunil Narine played for?
A. Sunil Narine has played for Kolkata Knight Riders since 2012.
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